A teen girl unravels
the mysteries of a secret society and their most dangerous invention in
this adventure-swept romance set in Victorian London.

When a
fire consumes Meg’s home, killing her parents and destroying both her
fortune and her future, all she has left is the tarnished pocket watch
she rescued from the ashes. But this is no ordinary timepiece. The clock
turns out to be a mechanical key—a key that only Meg can use—that
unlocks a series of deadly secrets and intricate clues that Meg is
compelled to follow.

Meg has uncovered evidence of an elite
secret society and a dangerous invention that some will stop at nothing
to protect—and that Meg alone can destroy. Together with the handsome
stable hand she barely knows but hopes she can trust, Meg is swept into a
hidden world of deception, betrayal, and revenge. The clockwork key has
unlocked her destiny in this captivating start to a trilogy.

I feel the need to start this review by saying that Legacy of the Clockwork Key was pure genius. The idea behind the Amusements fascinated me and made me wish they were in real life - which, considering the infinite capability of the human mind, isn't quite a far stretch - but thinking of the danger that Meg and her friends faced, I'm relieved that, for now, they exist only within the pages of this book.

From the first page, I was immediately transported to Victorian London and right into Meg's tragedy of a life. Her parents had just died, leaving her with nothing but the questionable kindness of one of her clockmaker father's old customers, Lord Rathford, who took her into his estate as a maid. It was very different from her comfortable lifestyle she'd been used to, but she knew it was better than starving and shivering in the streets.

This story was a great example of the saying "Some things are best kept secret." Meg was the curious cat, but her want to know the truth was inevitable because she felt like everything was unfairly taken away from her. I admired her, actually, because she chose to go on even when she learned of the imminent danger.

Meg was also smart enough to know and admit that she needed help. Thankfully, she found it in Lord Rathford's groom (as in the one who takes care of the horses), Will. A strong and equally smart orphan, Will was hesitant at first, especially when he finally had to bite the hand that fed him. Meg irritated me when she acted so ungrateful when Will refused to help her any further, but he soon relented and all throughout Meg's adventure towards the truth, Will proved helpful and necessary.

I saw it coming from almost a hundred pages away, but the romance between Meg and Will was really well-developed. It was fun to see distrust and uncertainty turn to loyalty and affection.

Overall, Legacy of the Clockwork Key was an intricate, well-paced, high-stakes adventure story that I really enjoyed. I easily read it in six hours because I just found myself desperate to turn the pages and see what would happen next. The ending satisfied while managing to make me more than curious about the sequel that I'll surely be devouring as well.

MY FAVORITE PARTS were the Minotaur and Icarus' wings.

RATING:

(cover from Goodreads.com)

My favorite quote:

I loved my father, and he loved me. Trust me, it wasn't enough.

About the author:Kristin Bailey grew up in the middle of the San Joaquin Valley in
California. As a kid she enjoyed visiting the beach, camping and skiing
with her two brothers.Now she is a military wife
and mother of two young children. She is also terrible about spoiling
her pets. She has one fluffy mutt, two cats who think they own the
world, and a fish tank with a quartet of fat fish, and two secretive
striped ninja-assassin snails.In the course of her
adventures, she has worked as a zookeeper, balloon artist, and
substitute teacher. Now she enjoys writing books for teens who enjoy
mystery and adventure as much as she does.